I’m a self-professed foodie. I don’t need white tablecloths or waiters in bowties. I love a dive or a hole-in-the-wall and am happy to nosh anywhere the food is good. But what really feeds my soul is design. For every mile I’d travel for a delicious dish, I’d travel ten miles for a stunning interior. In that regard, Café Basque delivers in spades.

Fronting half of the Hoxton Hotel lobby space, this elevated eatery is a relative newcomer to the downtown scene. We recently carved out time for brunch on our way out of town and I’m so glad we made this pre-LAX stop.

The menu skews French focused specifically on the Basque region as the name would suggest. Still, the edited brunch offerings feel classic and approachable.

We dropped by midmorning and found ourselves in a quiet oasis. Perhaps we slipped blissfully into the lull between the early birds and the sleepy heads. Regardless, we enjoyed having the place nearly to ourselves.

The waitstaff was welcoming and knowledgeable making us feel instantly settled. Having already consumed our respective morning coffee and matcha, we opted for water to ensure some pre-flight hydration.

I always prefer to eat light before flying so I zeroed in on the yogurt and granola paired with an almond croissant to satisfy my morning sweet tooth. Looking for something more substantial my husband ordered the perennial classic, croque madame.

The seasonally fresh berries were outstanding and the ratio of yogurt to granola – so often a parfait’s downfall – was spot on here. The pastry was light without skimping on that delectable almond filling. Happy reviews were murmered from the other side of the table too so I can confidently recommend the croque monsieur or madame.

However, let’s not lose sight of the interior. As with other Hoxton hotels and restaurants, this space was designed by the talented AIME Studios. An incredible mix of textures and an impressively wide color palette come together seamlessly all the while softened by an enormous flood of natural light through the parade of windows.

Next time you’re passing through DTLA, don’t sleep on this spot (or, stay the night and do)!